Slider for separable fasteners



May 6,1941- M. H. LANGE 7 2,24 ,704

SLIDER FOR SEPARABLE FASTENERS Filed Now-'10, i939 WITNESS INVENTOR I BY/Wx 1% Lmvaa Mid/M,

ATTORNEYS rows.

Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDER FOB. SEPARABLE FASTENERS Max B. Lange, Maspetli, N. Y., asslgnor to Waldes Koh-I-Noor; -Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 10, 1939, Serlal No. 303,717 6 01. 24405.5)

4 This invention relates to sliders for separable fastener structures of the type in which opposed rows of flexibly supported locking members are progressively interlocked and disengaged by the movement of the slider longitudinally of the In such separable fasteners, the slider usually comprises a pair of spaced plates which are connected at one end and embrace the flexibly supported locking members. A longitudinally extending lug is usually provided on the exterior surface of the outer plate as a means for pivotally supporting the pull tab by which the slider is actuated. This lug is usually of substantial dimensions and by reason of its bulky appearance and added weight is objectionable in flimsy women's garments or garments such as mens trousers where smallness of the slider is of prime importance to prevent a noticeable sagging of the edges of the material to which the fastener is attached and to enable the covering flaps to smoothly overlie the slider and effectively conceal its presence from view. Furthermore when a garment, such as mens trousers, which has flaps overlying the separable fastener, is pressed,'the

lug renders it difiicult to impart a neat, smooth,

appearance to the covering flap and tends to I wear holes in the covering flap thereby materially shortening its life. In this connection, it is also a common complaint ,that such pressing operations usually tend to force the free end of the outer plate of the slider in the direction of the inner plate so that the slider becomes jammed upon the locking elements and at least temporarily renapertures in such plates.

ders the fastener structure inoperable. This is especially true where garments, such as mens trousers, are pressed in machines where considerable pressure is applied in creasing or pressing the garment. Even when the jamming action of the slider is relieved it never operates again as satisfactorily as it did before it was distorted.

It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a slider construction whose transverse dimensions are capable of being reduced to a minimu-mthereby making it especially desirable for use in flimsy garments or garments such as.

simple in construction, yet relatively sturdy and rugged enough to withstand abuse and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects as well as the novel features and advantages of the invention will bebest understood from the following, description and the annexed drawing in which Fig. 1 is a top plan viewof a slider made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the slider illustrated in Fig. 1 and including a showing of a number of locking elements to better illustrate the advantages of the slider; Figs. 3 and 4 together form anexploded view of the slider, Fig. 3 being a topplan view of the pull tab detached and Fig. 4 being a top plan view of the slider body with the pull tab omitted; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the slider looking along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 and illustrates the manner in which the pull tab is placed into position on the slider while Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the pull tab in position and formed to P p r shape for use. V

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates the front plate of the slider'which is connected by an integral transverse portion I2 of reduceddimensions to the back plate I I of the slider. Adjacent to the transverse portion I2 is a transverse member l3 which is wedge-shaped intermediate the plates l0 and II and extends through aligned The outer end of the member I3 terminates in a head portion which is contained within the aperture of the plate l0 so that its outer terminal surface is substantially flush with the exterior surface of such plate, the metal surrounding such aperture being countersunk to attain such end, as is shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The member I3 is permanently secured in position by upsetting its inner end against the under or exterior surface of the back or rear plate *I If Provided on the front plate Ill and back plate II are the side flanges I4 and I5, respectively, which together with the interior surfaces of such plates and the.

transverse member I 3 form a V-shaped channel through which the rows of locking elements I6 pass in the operations of the slider, as is usual.

On the front plate III of the slider there is provided a pull tab II which is a combined slider actuating member and a slider protecting member. The pull tab I1 is made from a single piece of suitable metal and comprises an inner portion IS, an intermediate portion l9 and an outer free end portion 20. The inner portion l8 of the pull tab is provided at its inner extremity with a pair ably beveled or cut out to enable the locking of transversely extending lugs 2| and 22 which fit into two bearings 23 and 24 provided on the front plate III of the slider to provide a pivotal connection of the pull tab with the slider. The portions I8 and I9 of the pull tab may be provided with a central aperture but in the region of the portion I8 intermediate the lugs 2| and 22 there is solid metal to provide rigidity and strength in such region and to prevent any possibility of the pull tab from being. disengaged from the bearings 23 and 24. The inner portion I8 is of a length atleast as great as the longitudinal length of the front plate Ill from substantially the pivotal axis of the lugs 2| and 22 to the free end of said plate and is preferably greater than such length so that such inner portion I8 projects beyond the free end of the plate II) when the pull tab is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The intermediate portion I9 of the pull tab is inclined to the inner portion l8 to position the free end po ion 20 of the pull tab so that it engages with th upper surfaces of the locking elements I6 of the fastener when the pull tab is in the position illus-- trated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The free end portion 20 is preferably in substantial parallelism with the inner portion I8 of the pull tab and the incline of the intermediate portion I9 of the pull tab is preferably such that when the portion 28 is in engagement with the upper surfaces of the locking elements both the portions I8 and- 20 are in substantial parallelism with the rows of elements asis shown in 2 of thedrawing. The length of the outer end portion 20 is greater than the space between adjacent elements of the same row so that it will not enter between such elements when inward pressure is applied to the pull tab but remains on the exterior surfaces of such elements. The inner portion I8 of the pull tab may have integral therewith a projecting portion 25 formed to provide an eccentric-like by first bending it longitudinally to shorten the width of the tab so that the lugs 2I and 22 can be placed between the bearings 23 and 24, then inserting the lugs 2I and 22 into proper relation with the bearings, as is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing, and finally bending the pull tab back to its original shape, as is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing. If the pull tab is provided with a locking member such as the one illustrated, one edge of the opening 28 in plate It is prefermember to slide down into proper position in the opening when the pull tab i bent back to its original shape. The bearings 23 and; 24 are formed from the metal material of which the front plate It is constituted by means of a dieing operation, the die members cutting the metal of the front plate Ill along two parallel lines which are spaced a distance approximately equal to the width of the inner portion l8 of the pull tab in the region of the lugs 2I and 22 and shaping the metal between such lines and the flanges I4 of the plate It to provide the buttress-like, rugged bearings 23 and 24 which are so dimensioned as to. permit rotational movement of the lugs 2| 75 and 22 therein without undue play therebetween. In the'dieing operations the metal is flowed so that while the bases of the bearings 23 and 24 are substantially the same in thickness as the 5 plate III, the upper or top ends of the bearings are somewhat thinner than the metal of the plate I0. The interior surfaces of the bearings rise from a point closely adjacent to the interior surfaces of the flanges I4 and I5 while the ex- 1o terior surfaces of such bearings rise in part from the metal material of the front plate above such flanges. 7

It will be evident from the foregoing description that the slider of this invention has a transverse dimension which is no more than is necesbearing members 23 and 24 are extremely strong and buttressed against any pressure tending to deform them and provide a smooth engaging exterior surface-which reduces to a minimum any wear or damage to overlying flaps during press- 2 ing operations. The pull tab I1 in the region of such bearings and between the lugs 2| and 22 is of solid metal so that there is no danger of the lugs being sprung or otherwise forced out of their pivotal engagement with the bearings 23 and 24 during use or during pressing or other operations to the garment to which the fastener is attached. By reason of the fact that the free end of the pull tab II bears against the exterior surfaces of the locking elements I6 the outer end of the front plate I0 which is the weakest point of the slider, is protected against deformation by forces tending to jam it against the looking elements. The locl-n'ng member 25 which is formed to present a greater bearing surface than the space between adjacent elements, also contributes to this protection ofthe slider as a rigid support between such locking member and the outer end 20 of the pull tab is provided for the pull tab so that none of the applied forces act directly upon the front plate III of the slider.

While I have in the foregoing description and in the drawing, disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A slider for separable fasteners having coacting rows of locking elements formed for interlocking engagement, said slider comprising spaced plates connected together at one end 'by transverse means andhaving their other ends free and disconnected,-a pull tab for actuating the slider pivotally attached at one end to one of said plates to enable said tab in one position to overlie a substantial portion of said plate with its free I end projecting beyond the free end of such plate and overlying the rows of locking elements, said pull tab including an inner portion having a length at least as great as the longitudinal length of the tab supporting plate from the place of connection of said tabwith said plate to the free end of'said plate so as to extend to the free end of the aforesaid plate in such position of the pull tab and an outer portion offset with relation to said inner portion and having an element engaging surface positioned closer to the longitudinal center line of the slider than said inner portion and substantially in longitudinal alignment with the interior surface of said tab supporting plate so as to rest on the locking elements of the fastener adjacent to the free end of said supporting plate when the pull tab is in the aforesaid position, whereby said -pull tab forms a protecting span over the free end of said supporting plate and pressure applied to the slider will be transmitted directly to the fastener structure,

2. A slider for separable fasteners having coacting rows of locking elements formed for interlocking engagement, said slider comprising spaced plates connected together at one end by transverse means and having their other ends free and disconnected, a pull tab for actuatingthe'slider pivotally attached at one end to one of said plates to enable said tab in one position to overlie a substantial portion of said plate with its free end projecting beyond the free end of such plate and overlying the rows of locking elements, said pull tab including an inner portion having a length greater than the longitudinal length of the tab supporting plate from the place of connection of said tab with said plate to the free end of said plate so as to project beyond the free end of said plate in the aforesaid position of the pull tab, an intermediate portion inclining from said inner portion towards the longitudinal center line of the slider, in such position of the pull tab and an outer portion offset from said intermediate portion and being in substantial parallelism with said inner portion, said outer portion having an element engaging surface positioned closer to the longitudinal center line of the slider than said inner portion and substantially in longitudinal alignment with the interior surface of the tab supporting plate so as to rest on the locking elements of the fastener adjacent to the free end of said supporting plate when the pull tab is in the aforesaid position and said element engaging surface having a longitudinal dimension greater than the space between adjacent elements in one of the co-acting rows, whereby said pull tab forms a protecting span over the free edge of said supporting plate and pressure applied to the slider will be transmitted directly to the fastener structure.

3. A slider for separable fasteners having coacting rows of locking elements formed for interlocking engagement, said slider comp spaced plates connected together at one end by transverse means and having their other ends free and disconnected; a pull tab for actuating the slider pivotally attached at one end to one of said plates to enable said tab in one position to overlie a substantial portion of said plate with its free end projecting beyond the free end of such plate and overlying the rows of locking elements, said pull tab being provided at its pivoted end with a locking member which extends through an aperture in said tab supporting plate and has a surface portion engageable with the upper surfaces of the locking elements in the slider in the afore longitudinal alignment with the said surface portion of the locking member so as to rest on the locking elements of the fastener adjacent to the said position of the pull tab and said pull tab having an outer oifset. portion spaced from said locking member a distance greater than the distance between said locking member and the free end of said tab supporting plate and said ofiset portion having an element engaging surface positioned closer to the longitudinal center line of the slider than the body of the pull tab and substantially in free end of said supporting plate when the pull tab is in the aforesaid position, whereby said pull tab and locking member form a protecting bridge over the free end of said supporting plate and pressure applied to the slider will be transmitted directly to the fastener structure.

4. A slider for separable fasteners comprising spaced plates having side flanges, a pull tab, a pair of oppositely disposed lugs projecting from the sides of said pull tab, the portion of said pull tab intermediate said lugs being constituted of solid-metal to provide a rigid solid metal area between the outer ends of said lugs, and a pair of spaced bearing housings of the buttressed type for said plateinto an approximately dome-shapd g form and having opposed vertically disposed openings to receive said lugs, the height and width of said openings above said plate being substantially equal-to the diameter of said lugs so that the axis of rotation of said pull tab during use is substantially fixed.

5. A slider such as described in claim 4, in which the bases of said housings are substantially equal in thickness to the thickness of the plate on which they are formed and in which the tops of said housings have a thickness less than the bases thereof, a portion of the base of each I housing directly overlying a side flange and being integral therewith. 1

6. A slider for separable fasteners comprising spaced plates connected together at one end by transverse means andhaving their other ends free, a pull tab, a pair of oppositely disposed lugs projecting-from the sides of said pull tab, the portion of said pull tab intermediate said lugs being constituted of solid metal to provide a rigid solid area between the outer ends of said lugs, and a pair of spaced bearing housings, for said lugs provided on one of said plates; said housings being cupped up from said plate into an approximately dome-shaped form and having opposed vertically disposed openings toreceive said lugs, and said pull tab including a flat inner portion having a length at least as great as the longi-' tudinal length of the tab supporting plate from the bearing housings to the free end of said plate so as to extend to the free end of said plate when the tab is in a substantially horizontal position. with its free end overlying the locking elements of the fastener adjacent to the free end of said supporting plate, and said pull tab having an outer offset portion spaced from said lugs a distance greater than the distance between said bearing housings, and the free end of said tab supporting plate, said offset portion having an element engaging surface positioned closer to the longitudinal center line of the slider than said inner portion and substantially in longitudinal alignment with the interior surface of said supporting plate so as to rest on the locking elements of the fastener adjacent to the free end of said supporting Plate when the pull tab is in the aforesaid position.

MAX H. LANGE. 

